Why the Future Demands 'Feminine' Leadership

Carol Kinsey Goman says the most successful leaders of the future will be those who take the time and effort to make people feel safe and valued, emphasizing team cohesiveness while encouraging candid and constructive conflict, setting clear expectations while recognizing what each team member contributes, and sharing the credit and the rewards. Above all, they’ll project openness, inclusiveness and respect. "Any leader can do that. Female leaders just already do it more naturally," she says.

What's the Big Idea?

New business realities are ushering in the need for a new leadership model, one that replaces command and control with transparency and inclusion. "This will increasingly highlight the value of a more feminine approach. Where in the past communal behaviors naturally favored by women may have been obstacles to leadership success, in a collaborative future they may well become an edge."